Month: September 2013

This episode of the “Fam’s 5 Faves” is focusing on breastfeeding. I figured it was a great segue off of last month’s series focusing on Milking It.

Here is a break down of our favorites…

Nursing Covers

My two “go to” covers right now are the Motherhood Nursing Scarf and my Simple by Bebe Au Lait. I use the scarf when it is cool enough to sport a scarf – it’s super handy and cute too! The Bebe Au Lati is extremely breathable for warmer days (read more about it here).

Nursing Pillow

My back SCREAMS at me when we’ve been away from home and away from my pillow. It’s important to not hunch over baby when nursing, and bringing them up higher helps you save your back. I love this pillow so much that I’m taking it on our trip to Hawaii. Nine days is just TOO long to be away from it! I know there are quite a few brands out there, like the Boppy and My Breast Friend, but I’m a Boppy gal myself! It has a lot of uses other than just a nursing pillow. When your little one is on “tummy time”, you can prop them up on it. It also helps stabilize them when they start sitting up! I even prop Liam up a bit on it when he is sleeping on the ground.

Booby Tubes

Lets just be frank here ladies – engorgement and sore nipples are no fun. These guys were either in my freezer or in my bra those first few weeks. I highly suggest two sets – keep rotating them out! I love that I could use them directly on the nipples, or set it up so they went around them. They were soft, organic … I really did love them! They still do come out of the freezer – like when I am upping my supply for storage, and thus pumping A LOT.

Nipple Butter

Organic, smells good … I love this little nipple saving jar. And the small jar goes a LONG way. I still have the same jar I brought to the hospital with me! I dab a little on, let it melt and soak in, then “cover up” again. I also put it on before I pump to keep from getting sore. At first I was worried that Liam didn’t like the taste, so I switched to coconut butter. But I soon switched back. Now, the simple smell of it makes me remember those first few days of Liam’s life. And it is ALWAYS in my pumping bag!

Nursing Pads

I cheated on the “two for one” deal again on this, but my preferred nipple pads have changed over time. In the beginning I leaked… a LOT. So I loved the washable organic cotton nursing pads. I cycled through them quickly, sometimes two sets a day. But they were super soft against my “skin”, and offered protection from things that might accidentally brush against “sensitive areas”. After my milk situation evened out, I switched to the LilyPadz. I love them! They still offer protection against friction, cover up your “headlights” and keep enough pressure on to stop minor leaks. More on them in the future…

What are some of your top favorites for breastfeeding?

Wow – I had a lot of fun writing about breastfeeding last month. And I still didn’t have time to hit everything! You’ll still see the topic popping up time and time again. It’s a major part of my life as breastfeeding mommy. But here will be the upcoming focus…

September

This month I want to hit My Favorite Things. A lot of you have asked “what are your top 5 things for…” – here are some answers for you! There is no way I will hit EVERYTHING in one month, so this will actually be kicking off a regular series. These posts will be more “summaries” than in depth Tried and True (T&T) posts. But, have no fear, a lot of these items will show up again in upcoming T&Ts!

October

October 7-13 is International Babywearing Week! If you know me, you know I *love* babywearing! So October will be dedicated to everything babywearing. I’ll be starting a regular series discussing why we wear, as well as giving you the in and outs of babywearing. What carriers get thumbs up, what get thumbs DOWN? What to look for, what to try, where to start – we’ll be talking about it here! I’ll be giving you a peek into my own stash, as well as others I have tried/borrowed/drooled heavily over. All the T&Ts will be focused on wearing as well. There may even be a few tutorials about some customizing I’ve done for my own carriers. I’m excited!

The New Year …

Oliver and I are really praying about where God is leading us. We believe we went through infertility for a purpose. We believe we’re beginning to figure that out. And this blog will play a part. But we are still really praying about the how, when, and what of this venture we are exploring. Please pray with us, and keep an eye out here for new about our new adventure!

On a more personal note …

I’ve been a bit MIA from blogging because this weekend was a BIG deal. We travelled to Cincinnati, Ohio to celebrate my great grandmother’s birthday.

Let that sink in for a minute. *My* great grandmother. That makes her Liam’s great great grandmother. TWO greats in there folks, not a typo. And before you begin asking if we all sat around her bed in the nursing home, watching her being spoon fed pudding – you’ve got the WRONG idea. My great grandma is a spit fire lady with her mind still about her and her body only just beginning to fail her. It is only in the last year that she has begun needing a cane to steady herself. This lady has lived through the depression, the deaths of two husbands, 2 children, a daughter-in-law and one grandchild. She’s seen her legacy grow through 3 children, 5 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren and now 2 great great grandchildren. And she still carries her head high, has a smile on her face, and doesn’t let anyone boss her around. Can you tell I love this lady?

So, for her 97th birthday, all she really wanted from Oliver and me was to meet Liam. We were getting regular calls, asking when we’d bring her great great grandson out. We began planning a trip, and my mom jumped into the planning as well. Soon we had it arranged so my sister would meet us there with my niece, and my brother would meet us there from LA.

I’m not going to lie. When we rounded the corner to see her walking towards Liam, smiling, I cried. I lost my grandparents (her son and daughter-in-law) when I was a freshman in college. I was VERY close to them, they lived with us for many years leading up to their passings. It was so very important to me that she meet my first child. But, as we spent years battling infertility, I was really worried that she wouldn’t be here. To see her walk up to Liam, pat his face, talk sweetly to him – and to see him smile back at her. I’m crying again typing this. I could do nothing less that praise the Lord.